Heavy Gauge Sterling Silver Wire

[Sandra]

Hello all,

I am very new into jewellery making so forgive me if I sound extremely green! I have for the past few months been purchasing tools and supplies and am now to the point now I have enough to get started on some projects!

I was going through my materials and found I have a 12 inch piece of round 5.00mm sterling silver wire, though I would describe it as more of a rod. I actually meant to order a much finer wire and got confused with the mm measurements.

My question is now that I have it, does anyone have suggestions on what I could create with this??

[Dennis]

Hi Sandra,

I sympathise as I am forever dropping decimal points. In fact my floor is littered with them :-).

It will be difficult to do anything with this lump of metal unless you join a part time jewellery class where they have a rolling mill and/or a draw bench, which would quickly reduce it to a usable dimension.

That said, I do use that wire as a peg for this type of belt buckle, but only rarely. Welcome to the forum. Dennis.

It has occurred to me, that your supplier might be persuaded to take it back, or draw it down into a few useful sizes for a modest fee.

[Sandra]

Thank you for the reply. Do you think it could be cut to a shorter length and hammered into a cuff bracelet perhaps??

[caroleallen]

Yes, you could do that. You'd need to anneal it first. Keep it in the 12" length until you've hammered it as you won't be able to work out how long it will become.

[Goldsmith]

I second what Carole said, and I would suggest that you used a slightly domed face hammer and hammer the silver on a clean steel surface when doing this, to avoid any nasty hammer edgs digs in your metal strip.

James

[medusa]

Couldn't you anneal and bend it into a torque? If you don't roll or hammer it down but decide to use it at this size, I'd be very curious to see what you do with it because I'm looking to work on some similar gauges next year.

[mizgeorge]

I've used this sort of size (and a little bigger) for bangles, both torque and closed. It's also a great size for practising hinged bangles. It's also a nice gauge for drop pendants, either left as a cylinder (with some texture or even stamping) or forged to a graduation on one end, then flipped through 90 degrees and forged on the other end. You do need to anneal pretty regularly, but it's perfectly workable.

[medusa]

George, how did you find bending it to shape? I'm looking to eventually make a hinged collar (thanks to the lovely Chaz Lewton Braine :)) but the technicalities of getting the stuff bent into shape is concerning me. I had thought to get both ends soldered together and then bang into shape over a mandrel. I'm hoping I'll be able to apply enough heat for it.

[mizgeorge]

I've not done a neck size version, but for a bangle it's just anneal, bend, rinse and repeat. I only have a bangle mandrel, and find I don't need to bash that much at all. I do start with a longer piece than I need to get some extra leverage though.

[caroleallen]

In the Alan Revere book there are instructions for making a hollow collar.

[Sandra]

Wow thank you for all the advice and suggestions - you have been very helpful! I am very interested mizgeorge in your suggestion of keeping it as a cylinder and making pendants. (I doubt I'm at a level I could forge anything yet !). Do you have any pictures of one you've done like this?

[medusa]

In the Alan Revere book there are instructions for making a hollow collar.

wow, not quite sure how I have missed his books! Time to start saving up again!

[medusa]

In the Alan Revere book there are instructions for making a hollow collar.

Carole, I'm guessing you have the original book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Professional-Goldsmithing-Contemporary-Traditional-Techniques/dp/0442238983/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375458930&sr=1-3

Going from the index of the new book here: http://www.brynmorgen.com/books/samples/Prfessional-Jewelry-Making.pdf is it apparent what the new book has to offer and what the old one doesn't? I'm balking slightly at paying over £60 if I can get pretty much the same for less than £40 but would hate to feel I'm completely missing out.

[caroleallen]

Yes, it's the new book Liz.

[medusa]

ahh ok. I've been trying to find out what's in the old book to compare, before I plunge in and buy. I have bought huge numbers of books this year already.

[Patstone]

I have made thumb rings with the bit I have, hammer and solder, looks really nice on.



Hello all,

I am very new into jewellery making so forgive me if I sound extremely green! I have for the past few months been purchasing tools and supplies and am now to the point now I have enough to get started on some projects!

I was going through my materials and found I have a 12 inch piece of round 5.00mm sterling silver wire, though I would describe it as more of a rod. I actually meant to order a much finer wire and got confused with the mm measurements.

My question is now that I have it, does anyone have suggestions on what I could create with this??

[Sandra]

I've used this sort of size (and a little bigger) for bangles, both torque and closed. It's also a great size for practising hinged bangles. It's also a nice gauge for drop pendants, either left as a cylinder (with some texture or even stamping) or forged to a graduation on one end, then flipped through 90 degrees and forged on the other end. You do need to anneal pretty regularly, but it's perfectly workable.
Still haven't worked up the courage to use my heavy gauge silver wire - mizgeorge may I ask for what reason to flip the pendant 90 degrees before forging the other end? Is it so that when a hole is made in the top of the pendant the graduated bottom end will be laying flat against your body?
I have a pretty long piece of this so I could have many chances to practice. Also considering trying some etching on the pendants.

[Patstone]

I often buy this size, not in such vast lengths though. I use it for all sorts of things, I make quite a few rings out of normal thickness wire, but if I want to flush set a stone I just cut a slice off and solder onto the ring so it gives me a bit more depth. I also cut slices off to make ear studs, if you cut off about 5mm ( quarter of an inch) and solder a post on it, they look nice and you can add all sorts of decorations to it, little balls in the middle, or solder on a loop and dangle wire with either beads or a piece of chain with a silver bead or something on, or leave as just plain studs, always in demand.

[Dennis]

If you imagine about 4cm Sandra and half is gradually thinned to a wedge shape. Then turn it half way over(90degrees) and wedge the other half, you will have an interesting 3D object, rather than just a flattened one.

Think of it another way, It will look rather like a strip that has been twisted.

It would be a shame if you practiced on your silver first and ended up with scrap, so could you find some quarter inch round copper bar online which will be at a more throw away price?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/copper-bar Dennis.

[Sandra]

Dennis - I have copper bar on the way for practicing! I'll let you know how I get on.

[Sandra]

Since I last wrote I've done a couple practice pieces using copper rod and finally tried it using my silver. It was a fun project and while not perfect I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. I used a swirl punch on the front and my daughter's initials on the back. The hardest part was actually drilling the hole, I had to keep annealing over and over. I also discovered the chain had a lower melting point than the medium silver solder strip I was trying to use. Luckily my hubby had an old soldering iron and a different type of solder so I used that and it seems to have worked out ok.
My daughter is wearing this today, and she is a pretty harsh critic so I am well pleased :). Its much shinier than it appears in the photo and please excuse the poor quality of the photos...(PS - it looks on the pic as though the letter M didn't punch all the way, but it's just something with the picture. In real life it looks fine)
51565157

[Dennis]

Hi Sandra, your going ahead in leaps and bounds. Anyone would be pleased to have that pendant. Two comments on what you wrote:

The metal is quite thick to drill but it is easier if you use a lubricant such as a drop of 3 in 0ne oil and start by making a smaller hole. Then change to to a larger drill of the size needed.

For your chain, get some easy solder, because ball chain is already quite weak when tugged and overheating it will make it worse.

For jewellery, beware of any soft solder such as you mention, because it will contaminate your bench, can be allergenic, and is not of hallmarking quality.

Well done, Dennis.

[Tabby66]

You deserve to be pleased Sandra and always a sense of pride when your daughter is actually prepared to wear it!!!! (My daughter rejects most of mine, but I did notice she had a piece on today ;D).

As Dennis has said, that is a thick piece of silver to drill, in addition to Dennis' advice it is worth putting a small dent at the site to be drilled, a centre punch tapped with a hammer is the tool for this but any number of pointy pieces of metal will serve the same purpose!! It reduces the tendency of the bit to skid around when you first start drilling. As well as drilling with a smaller drill first, drill a little at a time, add more lube if required, then drill a bit more, until your through, you should reduce the risk of broken drill bits this way.

I think it's worth taking Dennis' advice on the easy (or extra easy) solder too, will be a much more secure result.

Well done!!